{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr333-114/featured_disabled-veterans-tax-termination-act-1454546083.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr333-114/featured_large_disabled-veterans-tax-termination-act-1454546083.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr333-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-01-13","title_override":"Closing a Loophole That Reduces Retirement and/or Disability Pay For Certain Veterans","summary_override":"

This bill would allow veterans who have a service-connected disability rating of less than 50 percent to receive veterans’ disability compensation and retired pay simultaneously.

It would also cover eligible retirees who had a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more and were forced to retire before attaining 20 years of service (also known as Chapter 61 retirement). These veterans may still be subject to some reduction in benefits due to concurrent receipts while they are phased into the system.

This would close a gap which prevents veterans from receiving the full amount of both their retirement pay and disability compensation, which is known as ‘concurrent receipt’. As the CBO explains: “Combat-related special compensation is exempt from federal taxes, but concurrent retirement and disability compensation is not; some veterans qualify for both types of payment, but they must choose between the two.”

","official_title":"To amend title 10, United States Code, to permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated less than 50 percent to receive concurrent payment of both retired pay and veterans' disability compensation, to extend eligibility for concurrent receipt to chapter 61 disability retirees with less than 20 years of service, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act\n\nAmends federal military retired pay provisions to: (1) permit veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 50% to concurrently receive both retired pay and disability compensation; (2) eliminate provisions requiring a phase-in between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2013, of concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation; (3) eliminate a phase-in of concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation for disabled veterans determined to be individually unemployable; and (4) require a limited reduction in retired pay for qualified disability retirees with less than 20 years of retirement-creditable service.","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A current CBO cost estimate is unavailable. The National Taxpayers’ Union published the figures from a CBO estimate published during the 112th Congress (2011-2012), which found that this bill’s implementation would cost about $13.5 billion over a five-year period. It should be noted that the current numbers would likely be different.","impact":"Veterans who would qualify based on their disability rating and service time, program administrators at the Department of Defense and VA.","argument_for":"The retirement pay and disability compensation veterans receive is reimbursement for two separate aspects of their service, and they should be paid in full for both.","argument_against":"This bill would potentially allow veterans to draw funds from three sources - the Department of Defense, the VA, and Social Security Disability. 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Countable is live on the web, as an iPhone app in the App Store, and on Android on Amazon and Google Play.\r\n\r\nTell your Senators and Representative what you think about how they’re doing for Veterans Affairs– not every six or two years – but every day!\r\n","page_title":"Veterans Affairs Issue Desk at Countable - Vote on Legislation, Stay informed, Hold Government Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/veterans-affairs/black_veterans-affairs-1429042036.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/veterans-affairs/grey_veterans-affairs-1429042036.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/veterans-affairs/white_veterans-affairs-1429042036.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Logan","vote_count":221,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/emQ3Va5W/large_emq3va5w-1469048255.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/emQ3Va5W/small_emq3va5w-1469048255.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/emQ3Va5W/tiny_emq3va5w-1469048255.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/emQ3Va5W/following","followers":"/api/users/emQ3Va5W/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"logan","issue_count":128,"is_following":null,"influence_score":330,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":9,"following_count":40,"position_count":39,"id":"emQ3Va5W","partner_id":null},{"name":"operaman","vote_count":1709,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/1027148173971007/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/1027148173971007/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/1027148173971007/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/1027148173971007/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/5mbagjNZ/following","followers":"/api/users/5mbagjNZ/followers"},"about_me":"Christian-Husband(51yr)-Father-Retired Pharmacist-2A-Conservative #KAG #RedNationRising #Faith #anti-illegal immigration #Opera","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"operaman","issue_count":11,"is_following":null,"influence_score":62615,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":603,"following_count":928,"position_count":1236,"id":"5mbagjNZ","partner_id":null},{"name":"Loraki","vote_count":1215,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/large_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/small_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/tiny_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/100000827158540/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/following","followers":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/followers"},"about_me":"I'm a member of the Church of Christ (non-institutional). 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I'm very fond of my OESheepdog and my Norwegian Forest cat, too.\n\n• I'm a Constitutional Conservative and a patriot. \n•. I support the Tea Party. \n• I'm for limited government and free market capitalism. \n• I'm also for school choice and school prayer. \n• I'm against abortion and same-sex \"marriage\". \n• I'm TOTALLY AGAINST the implementation of Shariah law at any level in the United States! \n• I'm for SECURE BORDERS and reduced immigration, especially of Muslims! \n• I believe ALL illegal aliens should be deported. Those who enter our country illegally should not be given special privileges at the taxpayers' expense! \n• I believe that Congress should balance the budget and Uncle Sam should live within his means - without raising taxes! \n• I also believe in \"peace through strength\" - keep our military strong and keep out the transgenders! Freedom of religion applies to the military as well as civilians! I'm AGAINST allowing foreigners to join our military! 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Closing a Loophole That Reduces Retirement and/or Disability Pay For Certain Veterans